The Why Behind the Madness

7 bags of Mom's clothes ready for Good Will

So, why the urge to simplify our lives? And won't simplifying actually be kind of complicated? Maybe, but I'm willing to take the plunge. I actually have thought through the "why" of it all. I'm sure my thinking will evolve, as it usually does when I jump into something. However, here are some of my initial thoughts about the "Simplification Project."

1. I really want to pare our possessions down to the things we truly want and need. Straight up, we have too many things. Things that sit and gather dust, doing nothing to enhance our lives at all. I'd rather pick out the things that are important and share the excess with others. 

2. Honestly, I'm tired of not knowing where things are when I need them or forgetting about things we have and then inadvertently buying more. We are the kind of family who has at least 3 of everything, spread around the house for convenience. But, it's not convenient to have three of everything when no one ever puts anything away and nothing is ever in its place. When we take for granted that a pair of scissors is only 5 steps away, it makes us more likely to be complacent about returning items to the place where we found them. The inability to locate things in my home prevents me from tackling tasks and projects because I know that I'll either have to spend a great deal of time trying to locate what I need, or a great deal of money going out and buying things I may already have. 

3. Looking at my crowded, messy spaces stresses me out. The nagging feeling that I should be organizing prevents me from focusing on the things I really want to do. Being more organized will make cleaning more simple, freeing me up to spend time on my hobbies and passions. 

4. I want a living space that reflects the things that are important to us. Per yesterday's post, I'm still trying to figure out who I am and what kind of life I want to have. I'm hoping simplifying will make it all more clear to me and to my family members as well! I've reached a point in my life when I want to free up more time and space (and money) to dedicate to experiences, rather than  THINGS. 

So, that's a little background on what's driving this new mission of mine. I started the project by weeding out my clothes. I took every clothing item I had and made a decision about whether or not I really loved it enough to keep it. In the end, I probably cut my entire wardrobe by 2/3. I felt really good when I first finished this task; but, I nearly had a panic attack when I walked in my closet to get dressed this morning and realized how much I'd given away. I'm going to stick to my decisions though, hoping that the greater rewards are worth it. Now on to the clothes of the other members of the family!